25 Apr 2013

Defence says no further charges over 2010 crash

6:04 pm on 25 April 2013

The Defence Force says there will be no more charges laid over the 2010 Anzac Day crash that killed three airmen.

Flight Lieutenant Hayden Madsen, Flying Officer Dan Gregory and Corporal Ben Carson were killed when their Iroquiois crashed on the way to a dawn service in Wellington.

Sergeant Stevin Creeggan survived the helicopter crash at Pukerua Bay, near the capital, but was seriously injured.

They had been part of a three-helicopter formation, led by Flight Lieutenant Daniel Pezaro, which took off from Ohakea air base on 25 April 2010 and had intended to perform a flypast in the capital.

Last week, Flight Lieutenant Pezaro was found not guilty of negligently failing to abort the flight when the weather deteriorated below authorised flying levels.

The chief of the Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell, said a legal review to establish whether any more charges should be laid has concluded and there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone else.